Bulletproof
by Soramon
Summary: I'm sorry...I'm just not bulletproof". FULL SUMMARY INSIDE
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey everyone!!! It's been a while since I posted up a story and well...I'm nervous! Lol. I mean, who wouldn't be nervous, right? Anywho, this is my brand new story that I'm working on. There's not much to say except that I hope that you enjoy it. The chapters will be posted whenever I finish it so there won't be any deadline. What I should mention is that everything that happened in Digimon 1 and 2 never happened. Mimi never went away and all the awesomeness with the Digimon never happened either. In my story, everyone is in college except for T.K, Kari, Davis, Yolie, Ken, and Cody and well...I'm not really sure of the ages. Lol I know sad, huh? Their ages should come up in the next chapter but until then, take a guess. Anyways, that's all for now! Hope you enjoy! R&R please!!!

**Full Summary:** "I'm sorry...I'm just not bulletproof." Sora has been living a double life. One that no one, besides her mother, could ever fathom. With the return of an old friend-and an old crush-comes a person from her past that had changed Sora's life forever. How could Sora protect her secrets-and keep her sanity-from everyone she loves when the shadows of the past are demanding to be known?

**Disclaimer: **I sadly do not own Digimon and if I did, Kari and T.K would be married and we would know who everyone got married with (Mimi would be married to Tai, of course lol)

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_Bulletproof_

**Chapter One**

"It is important to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then can evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated." - _Albus Dumbledore_

_**S**__he stood sniffling in the middle hallway, listening to the screams that came from her parent's room. She knew it was her fault that for their constant arguing. Tears threatened to make themselves known but she willed herself to keep them at bay. The yells increased in volume and she hastily ran into her room, slamming the door behind her. Resting her back against the door, she slowly let herself sink to the ground, closing her eyes tightly as her unshed tears threatened to cut off her air circulation. The sound of the heated argument was muffled by the closed door and she clamped her hands against her ears, trying to drown out the rest sounds._

_When would it ever stop? When will they both realize that the problem was _her_? Of course her stepfather knew, claiming that the root of all their trouble was their daughter. It was on rare occasions did he admit to being somewhat related to her. But that was only when they were outdoors, where the façade of a perfect family was to be played. The unwanted tears escaped from behind her closed lids and made its way down her cheeks. He always regarded her with his cold eyes while her mother with her caring heart repeatedly told her that her husband was only mad at her mother, never at her. Her mother was a fool in trying to believe that but she was no fool. She knew that her stepfather hated her for an unfathomable reason. The argument became louder and more understandable as it continued out into the hallway. The young girl pressed her hands harder to her ears. "Make it stop," she murmured quietly, rocking herself in a cooing jester. "Just make it all stop."_

_Heavy footsteps made their way towards her room, followed closely with the sound of her mother's pleas, sent a cold shiver down her spine. Shooting up to her feet, the young girl turned to face the door while she took hasty steps away from what was coming on the other side._

_The door slammed open, banging into the wall to reveal her stepfather. His eyes were dark and blazing with furry, turning her blood to solid ice. Swallowing hard, she took more steps away from the mad man that she wished at that precise moment would go away like a terrible nightmare. She became quiescent, unable to move in the face of evil._

"_This is all your fault, child!" he bellowed, taking angry steps towards him._

_She shook her head quickly, retreating from whatever punishment that he wanted to bestow on her. "N-no…I didn't mean too…I-I'm sorry…", she hurried to apologize to the crime she was unsure she was guilty for._

"_This is absurd! Your problem is with me and not with our daughter!" her mother cried out as she pushed passed her angry husband to stand in between the child and her once beloved husband._

_The man was beside himself with anger. Rage covered him like a second skin and spittle moistened his lips while he spoke. "She _is_ the problem. Damn it! Why do you always protect this…this filth?"_

_The young girl flinched and her eyes filled with guilt and tears clouded her vision. Her mother remained where she stood as her stepfather stalked towards them with purposeful steps. A screech escaped from the young female as his large hand made contact with the side of her mother's face. The older woman fell to the floor, her hand flying to her red cheek in response while shock caused her eyes to widen. "Mama!" the girl yelled as she moved towards her fallen mother._

_Her stepfather grabbed the back of her hair, yanking her towards him, causing her to moan in agony. "If you do not want to see your mother hurt again, you will do what I say."_

"_You're hurting me," she cried as she struggled against the strong grip in her hair._

"_Shut up!" He yelled, tugging viciously on her hair._

_Her mother sat up, her whole body trembling and tears of mixed emotions filled her eyes and stained her cheeks. "Don't do this! She's just a child! Don't do this!"_

_He silenced her with a stare that would have sent anybody running away in fear. "This will be her punishment for now on. You will have _nothing_ to do with this, woman, do you understand?"He began walk out of the room, dragging his stepdaughter along with him. Her mother's pleas filled the hall as she rushed after the two. Before she was able to stop him, her husband slammed the door behind him, locking it in place. Throwing the little girl on the bed, he fixed her with his blazing hate filled eyes. Slowly, a new expression curved his mouth into a wicked smile. "You want to protect your mother? To make up for all the wrong you've done that put this family in the shambles that it's in?" he licked his lips and the young girl's eyes widen with realization. "Then you will do exactly as I say and do whatever I want you to do." He approached with infinite slowness, watching the fear cover his stepdaughter's small face and cause her timid body to tremble._

Sora shot up in her bed, silent screams filling her mind until she was afraid that she was actually screaming aloud. Her breathing came out in harsh gasps while her eyes glazed over with hunted memories of the past stared off to the adjacent wall. Shutting her eyes tight, she pushed her hands against her ears and rocked herself back and forth for comfort. The stentorian screams in her head never ceased and Sora lowered her head to her curled up knees, Unconsciously, Sora began to perseverate, repeating the same mantra she had since she was younger. "Make it go away. Just make it all go away," she whispered into the semidarkness of her room. As she rocked herself, listening to the fast rhythm of her heartbeat, the soft _pitter patter_ of rain making contact on her bedroom patio helped rid her mind of her silent screaming.

How long has it been since the door to her past been open? She thought that she rid herself of those hunting memories, keeping them locked in the shadows of her mind where they could do the least damage. Sora moved her hands away from her ears and wrapped them around her bent legs while she watched the light rain sprinkle itself against her windows and sliding terrace door. She had nothing to worry about anymore. He wasn't going to come back. Not now, not ever. But, when her past crept up on her like a snake on the hunt, Sora felt as if he was silently watching her from the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to strike and seek his revenge on Sora and her mother.

She didn't know how long she sat in her bed, curled up into a tight ball, watching the rain change from a light drizzle to a heavy downpour. The sound of her alarm clock made her jump and Sora looked at the time blinking to the beat of the buzzing. Without a word, she turned off the alarm and stood, stretching out her muscles before leaving the safety of her bedroom. After attending to her needs in the restroom, she went back to her room to get dress. She dressed as comfortable as possible to accommodate today's weather and herself. Putting on loose khaki pants, a black short sleeve shirt, and pants, Sora left her room once again, walking down the hall to the kitchen at the same time, pulling her hair into a messy ponytail. She glanced at the clock, figuring that she had enough time to make herself breakfast before Mimi came to pick her up.

Time flew by and Sora found herself standing at the front gate of her building underneath her umbrella, holding her bag on her shoulder to keep it from getting wet as she waited for her friend to arrive. Her head was downcast, watching the hypnotizing patterns of water droplets hit the concrete floor, as she contemplated over how she would get through the day without people in her school seeing shadows in her eyes. How would she past for being one way when, inside, she was crying a vast ocean? Sora was slightly confident that she could carry on her usual charm when she's around familiar people and her friends. But, she knew, if a certain someone was still around, then he and only he would be able to see past her smiling face and right into her soul.

But he was long gone…wasn't he?

"Sora! Earth to Sora!"

Sora started and looked at the familiar black corvette parked in front of her. The window was rolled down just enough for Sora to look at Mimi who was obviously annoyed that Sora didn't hear her calls. Sora gave Mimi an apologetic smile before rushing to the passenger's side of the car and getting in.

"Sorry, Mimi, I was caught up in la-la land," Sora hastily told her friend when Mimi gave her a stern look, giving her a sheepish grin.

Mimi sighed dramatically and shook her head. "You've been having a lot of daydreams lately, Sora. Have you been getting enough sleep?" Mimi asked as she pulled away from Sora's building complex and drove down the road to their college.

Sora laughed and relaxed against her seat. "Of course I have but that won't stop me from having my reveries now would it?"

"No, of course not," Mimi chimed in before starting a new topic. The two talked animatedly about the past days and their high school years. Sora smiled and talked when it was most fitted for her to speak but once the topic turned to one of their friends, her heart seemed to have flipped upside down and get caught in an invisible tight grip. She looked out the tinted window and out into the rain as the world past by as Mimi drove. The last she saw him, they had been in a terrible argument, saying such despicable things, esurient to cause the other as much pain as possible. Sora sighed inwardly, regretting everything she said that day. He left the next day after their blowout and, to her humiliation, she broke down and sobbed uncontrollably in front of her friends at school the moment she heard the news. There was no way for her to tell him how sorry she was for everything she said. Was he sorry as well? Did he miss her just as much Sora missed _him_? Sora shook her head, trying to force herself away from the dreadful day and back to the present with Mimi talking loquaciously about today's cheerleading practice. She drove into a parking lot at Tokyo University and parked her car.

The rain stopped a few minutes before their arrival and the smell from the recent downpour greeted Sora who inhaled the clean scent. Gray clouds still covered the sky, blocking out the morning sun, giving everyone who was outdoors a clear warning that there was still more rain to come later on today. Both girls walked towards a building where the school's cafeteria awaited them. Sora waited until Mimi brought herself food before the two of them headed for a table, lucky to find one among the many students who crowded the lunch area. The moment they sat down at their table, one of their friends rushed up toward them, catching Sora's eyes first.

"Hey, Tai. I see that you made it here with enough time to spare," Sora greeted with a small smile at her bushy haired friend.

Tai gave them a lopsided grip and pulled a chair up to the table, turning it backwards before sitting on down. He rested his arms on the back of the seat and yawned. "Yeah, I actually thought that I was going to be late today. I pretty much just woke up and had to rush to get here."

Mimi shook her head but smiled. "Taichi, you are such a goof. You need to stop oversleeping."

"Aw, but Mimes, I wouldn't be me if I stopped oversleeping, now would I?" He winked at Mimi and gave her his famous lopsided smile causing Mimi to roll her eyes but not before both Sora and Tai can witness her cheeks becoming a bright pink. Tai's grin broadened, making his chocolate brown eyes twinkle with male amusement before turning his attention on Sora.

"Did you do the math homework, Sor?"

It was Sora's turn to roll her eyes. "Why didn't you do it yourself? You should've known it was due today," she responded.

Tai shrugged his shoulder in a casual motion. "Procrastination or just plan laziness really. Donno which one it was but those are the best reasons I can come up with at the moment."

"Well I think it was a mixture of both. You really are lazy and a procrastinator, especially when it comes down to math," Mimi chimed in when she finished her breakfast.

"Hey! Math is really hard, okay? I nearly pulled out my whole hair when I took that entrance exam," Tai retaliated.

Mimi laughed and turned her whole attention on her friend. "You say that for every subject you have problems with. Honestly, Taichi, if sports, mainly soccer, were a three to four hour class, you would probably have the highest score in the whole school."

"Excuse me, but, did you forget that I used to play soccer too? I would probably have a high rank as well," Sora said in defense, faking to take what Mimi said to heart by making her eyes wide and curving her mouth into what she hoped was an 'o' expression.

"Sorry, Sor, but you know Tai. His mind is either focused on when will he eat next, when is he going to be able to go back to sleep, and when is the next soccer game. There's no more room in that peanut-size brain of his," Mimi said matter-of-factly causing Sora to roar with laughter and Tai trying to defend himself. Outside, the rain began again as the trio talked and laugh from the cafeteria to their math class. They continued their lively confabulation until their professor came in and began the class. It was only the first week of college, causing the professors not to have their list of students and for the kids to write down their names on a piece of paper that was passed around the classroom. A few minutes into the lesson and Sora was already bored. She looked over at Mimi who pointed behind her. Sora arched her eyebrow and followed her friend's finger and noticed Tai who was already asleep on his desk. Sora and Mimi exchanged a grin and a quiet laugh before returning to their work. The door opened and closed but Sora paid no attention to the person who had walked in. The professor stopped writing on the board to attend to the visitor.

"Ah, Ishida, you're the transfer student that I was waiting for."

Sora's heart stopped beating and her body ceased all movement. At snail pace, she lifted her head and, for the first time since the person entered the room, she paid attention. Standing in front of the class was her old friend, Yamato "Matt" Ishida. She stared at him with unblinking eyes, unable to register that the guy standing in beside the teacher's desk, getting the syllabus from the professor, was really Matt. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Mimi nudging Tai, whispering to him about their new classmate.

"Oh my God, Taichi, wake up! Matt's back! He's really here!" Sora herd Mimi whisper to their sleeping friend frantically.

As if sensing a pair of eyes on him, he turned his head to face the class when the professor looked down at her desk. Their eyes meet and it was like the whole world disappeared beneath their feet, leaving Matt and Sora as the only occupants on earth. Sora couldn't look away even if she tried. Her heart leapt to her throat, cutting off her air passage until she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Slowly, Matt's eyes widen when he recognized Sora. Embarrassment incarnadine her face, turning it a bright red that she was sure was noticeable. She looked out the window, avoiding Matt's penetrating gaze and the look she was show she was receiving from both Mimi and Tai. He was back. After all these years, Matt was finally back in Japan. Where did he go for these past three years? Her mind was in a wreck, the door keeping all her worse days at bay threatened to creek open and it took Sora all her concentration to keep it closes. She didn't even notice that Matt took the seat farthest from Mimi, Tai, and herself. Nor did she notice when the class resumed its lesson and when the three hours were finally up. Without a word, Sora threw her books and pencils into her bag and rushed out of class.

The rest of the day seemed to have gone by with excruciating slowness for Sora, around every corner that she turned, she would run into Matt who was catching up with one or more of their friends, including two of Matt's old band mates. She avoided everyone, seeking solitude rather than being bombarded with topics centered on Matt. Sora left her last class of the day, sighing out a yawn as she did so. She walked sluggishly down the hall, much more exhausted than she had been when she woke up this morning.

"Ah, man, I need to start going back to the gym. I'm beat," she mumbled to herself, feeling as if she was dragging her legs with each step she took.

"Sora! I've been looking all over for you!"

She froze in the middle of the hall, her heart racing a mile a minute. She recognized Izzy's voice right away but was he alone? Was someone with him? If someone _was_ with him, is that someone Matt? She remained motionless, afraid that Izzy was walking down the hall toward her with Matt. Taking a deep breath, Sora turned around. She sighed in relief when she saw that her red headed friend was alone.

"Izzy! Sorry that I didn't meet up with you like I promised. I was…preoccupied," she said apologetically when Izzy was in earshot.

"So I heard." He shook his head and smiled. "I understand why though. I heard that Matt's back in town. It's all over campus!"

Sora groaned and covered her face with one hand. "I still can't believe it. He's really back."

"Yup and I heard, from Mimi of course, that you have been hiding every chance you got."

"I wasn't hiding!" she quickly said in denial before looked away and hunching over slightly. "I was just…you know…hurrying off to class."

Izzy laughed at the outrageous lie. Every one of her friends knew that Sora had enough time between almost all her classes to not have to rush to class. It was obvious to everyone, even to Sora, what the real reason behind her weird antique was the return of Matt. Sora sighed and walked beside Izzy through the hallway.

"Why are you trying to avoid him, Sora?" Izzy asked.

"I don't know, Iz. I just didn't want things to be awkward between us, you know? We didn't have the best of farewells when he left and well…" she drifted off to silence, shrugging her shoulder as if what she was telling Izzy wasn't of great importance. How would she be able to face Matt after three years of not seeing him? She closed her eyes and the image of Matt staring at her in math class greeted her. He looked the same with his golden hair and sapphire eyes but…was it possible for someone to look like a Greek God? Sora groaned out loud, catching Izzy's attention. She looked at him and shook her head and gave him a brief smile, telling him without words that it was nothing when, deep down inside, she knew it was indeed _something_. They talked all the way to Izzy's next class where Sora dropped him off before walked down the halls of her college alone. With her head down, her mind traveled back to her nightmare. Sora stopped in her tracks, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to push away the thought. Unfortunately for her, the screams of the little girl entered her thoughts, growing in volume until Sora thought that she was going to scream in frustration. She ran out the school, dodging people along the way as she rushed to the gym area.

Her breath came out in harsh gasps but the screams never disappeared. She was glad that she was alone in the girl locker room and Sora stood in front of her locker, pressing her forehead against the cool locker door, her eyes closed shut and her hands pressed tightly against her ears. She was _not_ going to remember. Not here at school where everyone would see. She stood there in silence as the minutes ticked by, willing the screams to go away. The screams began to dim until finally, she heard the silence of her own mind. Sora let her breath out in one long sigh of relief and opened her eyes half way, bringing her hands to her side. Will she ever escape? She thought that she did the moment he left their lives. Her therapist told her and her mother that Sora would suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and, to Sora's dislike, she did. She never trusted any man older or taller than she. She was claustrophobic and who knew what else she was afraid of. How Tai and the others never sense that there was something _wrong_ with her was beyond Sora's comprehension. She thought that there were times that her true self was revealed, especially when she was around Matt. She swore that he was the only one to see into her tattered soul.

"_I hate you, Ishida. I wished that I never met you. You are despicable and you don't deserve to walk this earth. Get out of my life and never _ever_ come back!"_

Tears blurred Sora's vision when she remembered their argument and the words she told Matt and vice versa. What was the cause of their fight in the first place? She didn't remember and she wondered if Matt did. Scrubbing her eyes, Sora changed into her tennis gear and went out to the tennis courts that were outside the building. She practiced alone, serving ball after ball over the net when the machine shot them out with blinding speed, all the while, she pushed all her negative thoughts back behind that door, locking it tight so she would not be hunted with them for the rest of the day.

The rain started again, damping her hair and clothes but still, Sora continued to play until the machine served the last ball over the net and towards her. She swung her racket and stopped, watching the ball bounce on the ground on the other side. She stood, breathing heavy and allowed the cooling rain to wash over her heated body. She went back to the locker room and grabbed her stuff, not bothering to change into her clothes. She pulled on her jacket and once outside, she ducked under her umbrella and walked down the streets in the direction of her building. She paused when she reached the corner of the fourth block that she walked and slapped her forehead, realizing that she was miles away from her home.

"Great, just great," she mumbled to herself, hitting her forehead repeatedly with her open palm. "Mimi left early and I have no way in getting home. Sora, you are so _stupid_!" She kicked at the sidewalk, mumbling angrily at herself.

"Sora, is something wrong?"

She froze in the act of hitting her forehead at the sound of that familiar voice. She turned around abruptly and saw Matt staring at her with a bemused look. Out of all the rotten luck! Sora did her best trying to avoid any contact with Matt but, like always, she was cursed with bad luck. She blinked rapidly and Matt tilted his head to the side, his bangs moving slightly, covering his beautiful eyes. Sora swallowed hard at the sudden lump in her throat. She shook her head and gave him a tentative smile.

"Nope, no problem at all. I was just heading home that's all…"she looked down the block again, before glancing down at the damp concrete floor.

"You do know that your house is miles from here right? You can't possibly walk that far," there was real concern in his voice causing Sora to look up at him again.

"There's no other way for me to go home. I have no money for the trains or buses and I will never hitchhike." The thought turned her blood cold and she shivered involuntarily.

Matt took a step towards her. "Want me to give you a ride home?"

Sora shook her head animatedly, taking a step away. She gave him a small smile. "I'll manage, Matt, but thanks for the offer." She turned around and walked away but not before hearing Matt's footsteps following her. She sighed softly. All she wanted to do was be alone but, obviously, she would never achieve that goal until she was safe in her room. She kept her face straight but her eyes roamed around, feeling eyes watching her as she walked.

"Your house is too far and my car is just around the block. I have to go your direction anyway since I'm going to visit T.K and my mom so I might as well drop you off," Matt persisted, finally walking beside her.

"Oh fine then. Like you're giving me much of a choice anyway," she mumbled the last part to herself as she followed Matt to a silver 2009 Aston Martin DBS. Sora stopped in her tracks and studied the car. Should she get in? If she did, she knew she wouldn't be able to escape from Matt, no matter how hard she would want to try. Her grip on her umbrella tightened and she looked at Matt. He arched his eyebrow, tilting his head to the side again. Her heart fluttered then pounded hard against her chest. Sora resisted the urge to place her hand over her heart and in return, gave Matt another small smile. She slid into the passenger side at the same time Matt did. She sat in silence, staring sightless out of the car window. They drove in an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say to the other after three years. Their past hung in the air, chocking Sora with its heaviness. What was there to say? She wasn't going to bring up their dreadful argument and she knew Matt felt the same way. She sighed inwardly, feeling ridiculous when there was no need for it. She knew Matt for _years_! They should've been able to strike up a conversation easy but it was just too damn difficult.

"You're shivering."

Sora jumped at the sound of his voice and glance his way. He didn't remove his gaze from the road but she knew that he was watching her from the corner of his eye. "Just cold," she replied softly. She wasn't just cold. She was _freezing_. The heat that Matt put on when he started the car wasn't able to reach her skin and warm her. She was feeling cold all the way to her bones. Sora shrugged her shoulders carelessly as if the topic didn't matter. "I was practicing when it started to rain. No big deal, really."

He stopped at a red light and Matt glanced her way. Sora felt as if her heart ceased and she inhaled sharply. The look in his eyes, raw with some type of emotion, took her breath away. His masculine scent filled her lungs and Sora thought that she would never get rid of it. They stared at each other, the sound of soft jazz played in the background and the air in the car seemed to sizzle with electricity. Sora was the first to pull her gaze away, returning to the scenery outside the window. The silence returned for the rest of the ride. Matt parked the car in front of Sora's building but neither one moved or even said a word.

With a sigh, Sora pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and shifted positions in her seat. "Thanks for the ride, Matt. I appreciated it."

"No problem, Sora."

Silence once again settled around them. She looked at him, not at all shocked to see him staring at her. She gave him a small smile before opening the door and holding her umbrella open for her. She turned to face Matt once more before looking down at her lap.

"I'm glad that you're back, Matt," she whispered so softly that she was unsure that Matt was able to hear. Not waiting for a response, Sora hastily jumped out the car, closing the door behind her, and rushed to her building complex.

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**A/N:** Please Review! I would love to see what everyone has to say.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Okay, finally, chapter two is up and I'm pretty excited. I hope it was as good as the first chapter. It's a new year and my target goal (besides finding me a job ugh...) is to finish this story. Not much to say except to give the ages and to say Happy Late New Years and I hope everyone has a great 2010!

**Joe:** Twenty-One

**Tai and Matt:** Twenty

**Sora:** Nineteen but turns twenty later on in the story

**Izzy and Mimi:** Nineteen

**T.K and Kari:** Seventeen

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_Bulletproof_

**Chapter Two**

**S**ora lay in her tub, letting the water lap lazily around her. The heat of the water felt marvelous against her iced skin and she sank deeper until the water reached her nose. She watched as her toes dance above the surface of the water. Who would have guessed that the day was going to be eventful? None of her friends knew that Matt was coming back and was going to attend the same college as them. But Sora had the feeling that the only one who knew of his return was his younger brother. She sighed softly, not knowing where her mind was leading her too. She had told Matt that she was glad that he came back. Did he catch her last words when she stepped out of his car? Secretly, Sora hopped not, but she knew that he did. She said it while facing him for heaven's sake! Sora didn't mean to let the words slip through her lips like that. She couldn't afford mistakes like that around him. She's been in the tub, surrounded by the heat of the water, since she came home to an empty house. She was alone and Sora was relieved for that. She didn't want to answer any questions her mother would normally ask. All the lights were on and she heard the sound of soft music playing from her room.

She welcomed being alone but there were times where she wished that she had company with her. Whenever she felt like that, Sora would normally speed dial Matt's number and within seconds, he would be sitting next to her on her couch until she would have fallen asleep. Sora sighed at the thought. He was home now but there was a gap a mile long between them. A gap so deep and wide that Sora, and probably even Matt, was unsure if it would ever be refilled again. She sighed and tapped her toes against the water, creating ripples to form on the surface. What was she to do now? With Matt back, it brought out every memory she had of him, both good and bad, and Sora simply couldn't allow that. She stayed in her tub until the water turned cold and her fingers and toes pruned and even then, she remained where she sat for just an hour more.

After emptying the water from the tub, she quickly dried herself and slipped on her drawstring pants and a tank top. As she walked towards her room, towel drying her hair, the sound of the front door being unlocked and open caused Sora to freeze in the middle of the hallway. Her heart palpitated and she held onto her towel until her knuckles turned white. The door closing sounded loud in Sora's ears. She took a tentative step back and shook her head; feeling helpless and distorted when she knew that there was no reason to be. When she heard the sound of her mother's soft whistling, everything in Sora shut down in relief. She moved towards the wall and slide down, her legs unable to support her weight. What was going on with her? The whole day has been discombobulated ever since she had that dream. She rubbed the towel over her face and let out her breath in one jagged rush of air. She sat there for a few more minutes, letting her heart return to a normal pace, before getting up and rushing to her room. Quietly, she closed her door and turned the volume up on the song that played on her ITunes on her computer.

Singing along with the song, Sora pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and sat in the center of her bed, trying to catch up on today's math lesson. Half an hour passed when her phone began to ring. Snatching it up from the floor, she looked at the caller before pressing the SEND button. Placing the phone between her ear and shoulder, she spoke. "Hey, Mimi. How's it going," she greeted.

"I'm trying to do this math homework that's due tomorrow and I can't seem to understand it," Mimi said in aspiration. "I would've called Tai but he was so busy sleeping that there's no point in doing so and Izzy…well you know Izzy. He's probably stuck to the computer doing his reports for his own classes."

Sora laughed gently and shook her head. "Do you honestly think that _I_ would understand this? You have a better chance in nagging Izzy to help you than you do with asking me. I'm getting a headache from trying to understand the little notes that I got from class."

Mimi's answering laughter was exactly what Sora was expecting. "Well, we can try to figure this out together since we're on the phone."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Meems," Sora agreed, more than delighted that she wouldn't have to suffer alone. As they worked through one problem at a time, twice her mother stepped into her room, asking if she was hungry and twice Sora told her no. She wasn't intentionally lying to her mother. Due to the events that made up her entire day, Sora wasn't even close to thinking about eating. Sora glanced at her alarm clock and yawned.

"Sorry, Meems, but all this math is making me exhausted. Can we finish the rest tomorrow before class? I'll pick you up in the morning this time."

"Yeah, let's finish tomorrow. Doing too much math for one day really can put a girl out," Mimi said cheerfully. "Seeing Matt again really was a shocker wasn't it? I can't believe he's in our math class!"

Sora stilled in the act of putting her books away and listened faintly to Mimi describing the time she spent with Matt. Why was she listening to Mimi's rambling anyway? She didn't want to hear anything that centered directly on Matt. So why was she subconsciously pushing her phone closer to her ear, greedy to hear every single word that Mimi said? She was able to tune out every single conversation based on Matt when she was in and out of high school and she knew without a doubt that she could do it again. But how would she do so now when she spent a few minutes in his presence? Sora sighed and resumed in putting her books away.

"Oh, I forgot to ask! How did you get home? I had to leave early so I wasn't able to give you a ride home," Mimi said through the phone.

Sora's heart stuttered and she tightened her grip on the phone. She allowed a few minutes to past before she responded. "Matt drove me."

"He did?" there was shock and even awe in her friend's tone that Sora gritted her teeth together in annoyance. "That was very sweet of him considering what happened between the two of you."

"Yeah, I thanked him for the ride before I left." _And told him that I was glad that he was back_, Sora thought regretfully with a soft sigh. She stretched out on her bed and looked up at the ceiling before covering her eyes with her arm. "Did you know that he was coming back, Mimi? Did Tai and the others know?"

"You know that I didn't know until we saw him in our morning class. And Tai and the others were just as shocked to see him as we were. But I do believe that T.K knew since he is Matt's brother. And probably Kari knew too."

"Right, I forgot about Kari and T.K. Of course they would know. They're inseparable and they tell one another anything and everything." Sora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. The more she talked to her friend about Matt, the worse her heart seemed to feel constricted. "Anyway, Meems, we should head off to bed. It's getting pretty late and we have to wake up early. Don't forget that I'm going to pick you up in the morning."

"No worries, I won't forget." Mimi stopped talking and Sora heard her soft intake of breath on the other end of the phone. A heartbeat or two past before Mimi said in a concern voice, "Are you okay? You seemed out of it all day, even now."

Sora sat up so quickly, she became light headed, the edges of her sight turning black. She shook her head vigorously and smiled at an unseen Mimi. "Of course I'm okay. Just shaken up a bit over seeing Matt again, that's all." She heard the denial in her voice, tasting the lie on the tip of her tongue, as she tried to convince her friend that she was fine. "Really, Mimi, I'm fine. Nothing to get all bent out of shape about."

There was a heartbeat of silence and Sora stared at the faraway wall, willing Mimi to believe her lie. "Alright, Sora." Mimi's reply was soft and pleasant which still held suspicion but she didn't press the matter any further.

Sora released her breath, completely unaware that she was holding it. Telling her friend goodnight and reminding her again to wait for her in the morning, Sora pressed the END button. Placing it beside her pillow, Sora turned around and flopped, face first, back on her bed. If Mimi noticed that she was constantly zoning in and out of reality, then who else did? She sighed into the pillow before getting up and cutting out all the lights. The moment she reached her bed, she burrowed under her covers, pulling her legs up against her chest in a tight fetal position. Sora lay there for what felt to her like hours, thinking over her day and how everything seemed to have set her teeth on edge. She cursed silently beneath her breath, knowing that the moment she closed her eyes, a certain blonde would pop up and overtake her dreams.

*~*

Matt sat in the spare room of his brother's apartment, stringing a soft melody on his guitar as the rain outside tapped against the window to the sound of the strokes of the cords. He stopped suddenly, placing his hand over the cords of his guitar. He wasn't expecting his day to take such a turn of events. Of course he knew that he was going to run into old friends but, he didn't expect to see a particular _friend_ in one of his classes. He combed his fingers through his damp hair and placed his guitar carefully beside his bed. Standing up, he paced over to the window and peered out, folding his arms against his chest. How long has it been since he last seen her? Three years? It felt like eternity to Matt and he hated every minute of his separation from Sora. Yeah, the way he left wasn't exactly pretty and Matt regretted that day ever since. He scrubbed his hand along his face, trying to wipe away the memories of the two of them yelling at the top of their lungs at one another. How did the fight even occur? They _never_ had serious arguments before. They had fights but those were laughable compared to that one. He thought that he was over her; thought that with the years separating them, he would forget how he used to feel when he was around her and that one argument that had changed everything.

Matt scrubbed his face with both his hands this time. Who was he trying to fool? The moment he saw Sora in class he felt as if he was back in high school, sharing laughs and serious conversations with her. But…Matt sighed and stared sightless out the window. Whatever they had before was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. The ride to Sora's place was enough to show him that there was no changing the past and no making up for it in the future. They both had said things that were so unforgivable, so out of character, that even now, that day threatened to overpower him when it came to the surface.

"_I'm glad that you're back, Matt."_

Was she really glad to see him again? The whole day, he knew that Sora was avoiding running into him, afraid to be alone with him. And he couldn't blame her for that. He was terrified, absolutely terrified, to see the same blazing anger in her eyes that once turned her chestnut eyes to a dark burning red as if they captured the intensity of her anger there that he received on that day so long ago. Matt groaned aloud to himself. He couldn't allow himself to think about Sora too much. He learned that lesson when he was living with his grandfather in Paris, France. He will _not_ allow his old feelings for his friend to return and shatter his control.

"Hey, Matt. When did you get here?"

Matt turned around to face his little brother who stood at the doorway, shrugging off his coat with a brilliant smile on his face. He was secretly proud of his little brother. Although people thought that Matt and T.K could past as twins, they were far from being alike. Whereas T.K had boyish good looks and a ready smile, Matt was hardedge and kept to himself, preferring the solitude of his room than a large crowd. He couldn't deny that he enjoyed his days in his old band the Teenage Wolves but those days were long gone. Matt shrugged his shoulders and rested against the window ceil.

"Not that long ago. Mom let me in before she left to pick up some things from the store."

"That's mom for you. She's always having something to do," laughed T.K, brightening his azure eyes to a sky blue.

Matt smiled at his brother before returning his gaze back out of the window. "Mom told me you and Kari had a date today. That's why you didn't come straight home after school." From the reflection in the mirror, Matt watched a faint blush rise on his brother's face. It wasn't as if he was embarrassed to tell, Matt knew that already. Ever since he left, T.K and Matt were on the phone practically every day, talking about life and anything that came to mind. He wasn't at all shocked to hear that T.K had finally asked Kari, Tai's little sister, out on a date. He was, however, shocked that it took him until their junior year to finally ask.

T.K moved further into the room, flinging his coat next to where he stretched out onto the bed. "Kari and I went out to see a movie, that's all. We have a big test tomorrow for math so we wanted to hurry home to study and so after the movie, I dropped her off at her house, talked to Tai for a few minutes, before coming home." T.K glanced at his brother and arched his brow. "How was your first day at Tokyo U? Did you run into Tai and the others?"

Matt nodded his head and remained silent for a couple of minutes before he decided to speak. "Sora's in my math class."

T.K sat up and stared at Matt with wide eyes. "She is?"

"Yeah. I dropped her off at her house when I ran into her after my classes were over. She was going to walk home but I convinced her to allow me to drive her there." Matt tore his gaze away from the window to look at T.K. "It feels different now." He would have never admitted it to Tai, knowing how his best friend would react to this statement. His brother, on the other hand, would hear him out, like always, unless he was upset with what Matt would have to say. Matt shrugged his shoulder, giving the impression that he didn't care.

"Of course it would feel different, bro. You two didn't leave off at a good note."

Matt sighed and combed both his hands through his hair in agitation while closing his eyes at the same time. He didn't expect to see Sora and the moment he did, he couldn't get the image of her out of his head. She grew out her dark red-orange hair since the last time he saw her. Where it once stopped mere inches from her shoulders, it now went a little bit past them. And her eyes…damn, a man could drown in her eyes. They were mysterious. _And sexy as hell_, Matt remarked where no one else would be able to hear. Why did he allow her to slip through his fingers? He didn't want to delve too closely to find the answer, afraid of revisiting that day and the emotions that he had for her all those years ago. Folding his arms against his chest, he looked at his brother to find that he was watching his reaction. Damn it all. Matt was a twenty year old man. It shamed him that his young brother could read his mixed emotions that he had when it came to Sora so clearly on his face.

"I'm fine," Matt told T.K sharply. Was he really fine? Seeing Sora again really messed him up and he didn't understand why. He took a deep breath and released it. "Shit, T.K," Matt said, uncaring of his language, "I'll be the first to admit that I've missed Sora when I was away but damn it all, I can't allow myself to look back to that day. I just can't." He looked at T.K, desperate for him to understand.

T.K nodded his head once. "I'm not saying that you should, Matt. After all, given the events that took place, that day shot straight down to hell. Give it some time and if what happened that day comes up, then the two of you should talk about it." T.K gnawed at his lower lip, silent as he contemplated on what he was about to say next. His gaze locked with his brother's and a serious expression crossed his face, making him look more like a younger Matt.

"What?" Matt asked, shifting slighting on the ceil to sit up straighter. He held his breath, realizing that what he was going to hear next wasn't going to be pretty.

"She was really torn up when she heard about the news that you left. I've never seen Sora break down and just cry in front of us like that before."

Matt's breath left his lungs in a rush. Something inside of him stirred and his stomach twisted up in a tight gut retching knot. He was the cause of her tears. Sora never, _never_, broke down and cried in front of _any_one, not even when she was alone with him. Hearing that she did, in front of all their friends and that it was entirely his fault, brought bile rising in his throat. He closed his eyes, forcing his strong reaction to the news away to where it wouldn't threaten to destroy his self control. He took deep, calming breaths and released it before standing up.

"Matt?" T.K's voice was soft and concerned. Something that Matt didn't want to hear at the moment.

"Come on, squirt. I'm going to cook us up something to eat." He didn't wait for his brother to reply. Instead, he walked silently out of the room and into the kitchen, knowing his brother was going to follow. As he took out everything he needed, the two brothers talked and fought around playfully. Matt was surprised in how much he actually missed his younger brother. He listened to T.K talk about his school year so far and his mini adventures with his friends. The two avoided any topic that would lead to Sora, but the words that T.K uttered were still stuck in Matt's head. Something possessive crept through his body and he had the sudden urge to go over to Sora's house and pull her into his arms. His eyebrows drew together at his thoughts. He was never a man to let his predatory side get the best of him. But now, after seeing Sora again, his tight hold on that part of him was beginning to weaken. He focused his attention on cooking and speaking to T.K, laughing when it was necessary and teasing his brother after certain statements were said. He refused to allow his thought to return to Sora for the rest of the night. By the time they finished their dinner and T.K cleaned all their dishes, their mother returned from her late shopping. He spent a full hour with catching up with his mother, sharing laughs and jokes with his mother and brother, before calling it a night and heading off to bed.

Matt lay silently in the dark, listening to the sound of the rain outside, while his mind was in chaos, allowing hours to pass by with him staring up at the ceiling. Tomorrow was a new day, he told himself as he closed his eyes, allowing sleep to consume his body and mind. He would try to make everything right with his old friend, and nothing, _nothing_, was going to get in his way of his target goal. That night, his dreams were full of a certain redhead that he long ago cared deeply about.


End file.
